Hero's Journey
by Kayire
Summary: The road to hell is paved with good intentions and Touko is the key to having his plans come to fruition. But N is no longer sure which one is being seduced. Ferris wheel shipping
1. Chapter 1

I am pretty convinced no one reads disclaimers, so I can pretty much say whatever I want...like pineapple mango crunch is the crunch of the now. But just in case someone is, this is rated what it is since I like to be crass and use vulgar language.

**Edit**: A reviewer pointed this out (Thank you so much reppad98!) Touko, Cheren, and Bianca are NOT ten years old! I think it is super irresponsible for adults to let preteens wander around the Pokemon world. =p~ So in my own little world of Unova, one must be of the age of majority or successfully completed secondary school (high school) to be eligible to compete for gym badges.

* * *

The moment Touko stepped into Accumula Town, she felt like a hick. As clichéd as it was to never leave her hometown, the closest she ever got was when she accompanied her mother to the airport to welcome her grandparent's home after a vacation.

For the most part, she tuned Professor Juniper out when she was giving a lecture on how to properly use a Pokemon Center. She bobbed her head for yes at the moments deemed appropriate. While the professor was explaining the PC system, Touko leaned against the Pokemon counter and absently played with a strand of hair.

This explanation was unnecessary and lame. Hey—it was unnecessarily lame! Touko then halted her train of thought. That didn't make sense…

"Aren't you just floored?" the professor asked, beaming at Touko.

That snapped her out of her inner monologue about the various usages for the phrase unnecessarily lame. Touko only nodded her head once more, hoping that she didn't just agree that shooting Lillipups was a perfectly acceptable activity.

Whatever professor Juniper said previously was ignored as Bianca asked a question about Someone's PC.

Touko's eyes traveled to the potted plant her friend was standing near. Touko was pretty confident in her ability to figure out a computer.

And the plant besides Bianca looked like it needed to be watered…

Touko wondered if her Pokemon were in good hands at the Pokemon Center. If the nurse couldn't keep the plants healthy, should she really be trusted to keep her Pokemon healthy…?

Oh gosh! They were moving to the counter! Touko quickly moved right behind her friend while the professor explained the two bored looking young men behind the counter. She finally tuned into the explanation and was thankful she could finally purchase potions. Her Lillipup and Oshawott took some serious beatings on the road to Accumula Town. She needed potions pretty desperately.

"No Pokeballs?" Bianca questioned.

"Nope." Touko replied. "Potions. I can always catch more Pokemon later."

"But what about the Pokedex?" Bianca continued.

"I won't get very far if I have to keep running to and from the Pokenon Center." Touko replied while she waited for her change.

After making her purchase, her and Bianca stepped outside and immediately walked into a crowd that gathered during the professor's winded explanation.

"C'mon!" Bianca said, grabbing Touko's hand. "They might be doing a Pokemon magic show!"

"Doubtful," Touko replied. She barely had time to stuff her recent purchases into her bag before the blonde navigated the two of them through the crowd and right into Touko's favorite bespectacled buddy.

"What's going on?" Touko asked Cheren once Bianca let go of the death grip she had around her wrist.

"Just listen." Chren answered. The dark haired youth frowned slightly. "This man looks like a clown…I don't get his appeal to warrant a mass gathering like this."

But as soon as the robed man began his speech about Pokemon Liberation, Touko understood why such a large crowd gathered. As the man known as Ghetsis began his speech, Touko felt her hand go to her Pokeballs.

The speech was not particularly compelling, but it raised a question Touko sometimes wondered: were Pokemon happy? Many seemed happy enough, but from the looks on the faces of people in the crowd, it seemed like they were wondering the same thing.

"Ridiculous." Chren scoffed. He then glanced at his friend who was looking at her Pokeballs. "Do NOT tell me you are thinking of drinking their Kool Aid after a horribly delivered speech. Look." He continued and gestured over to what could be best described as Ghetsis' honor guard.

'Do you notice anything about those goons?"

Touko looked over and considered. "They're gingers..?"

"Right." Cheren said. "And we all know that gingers have no souls. Which means anything they say should be disregarded."

"They were eerie." Bianca said probably just for the sake of not having any more talk gingers being devoid of a soul. Bianca never liked it when her and Cheren got their snark on.

"They were kind of cultish…I don't know." Touko trailed off. "Bleh, whatever. Let's bounce."

"I'm surprised no one called the police to be honest." Cheren said.

"You mean the fashion police?"

"That was bad. Even for you, Touko."

"Well fuck you."

"Fuck you too."

"Where and when, pretty boy?" Touko teased. She put her hands on her cheeks and pretended to be embarrassed. "I trust you'll be gentle…"

"I'll catch up with you two when you can be more mature." Bianca said, disappearing into the mass of humanity.

Before Touko had a chance to apologize to her sensitive friend, they were interrupted.

"Your Pokemon, they speak to me…"

Cheren and Bianca exchanged confused looked before looking over to Touko, who pointed to herself as if asking if the fast talking green haired newcomer was referring to her.

"Boy, you speak kind of fast, don't you?" Cheren remarked. "Usually a form of greeting suffices when addressing people for the first time. And what is it you said about Pokemon speaking?"

The green haired stranger seemed unphased by what Cheren said. Nonetheless, he slowed his speech down significantly. "Yes, they do. They don't speak do you, Trainer? How…pitiable." He then held out his hand. "My name is N."

"Cheren." He friend said, reluctantly shaking N's hand. "And this is Touko."

"I'm a Trainer myself." N continued. His peridot colored eyes met Touko's blue. He the nodded in greeting. "Though I have to ask myself, are they really happy?"

Touko bite the inside of her cheeks. "I am sure people wonder that from time to time." She said. "But I think if Pokemon were really unhappy, they would have revolted against their Trainers by now."

"Perhaps." N agreed. "But let's put that to the test, Touko. I want to hear the voice of your Pokemon again!"

Touko stared blankly at the Pokeball N produced and held in front of him.

"Look, Ihn was it? I'm flattered and all, but I'm really not in the mood." Touko tried to say. N, however, stared expectedly at her. Eventually, Touko begrudgingly reached for Lilipup's Pokeball.

"Damn it," she sighed before calling out for her Pokemon. _Why don't you tell me what my Pokemon are saying when they're kicking your Pokemon's asses? _

The battle went quicker than Touko expected. As soon as she called Lilipup back, she caught a glimpse of N's expression. He looked both surprised and crestfallen.

"That was interesting." N remarked. "Your Pokemon are surprisingly eloquent, Touko." He looked like he wanted to say more. Instead, he handed over some winning money before departing as quickly as he came.

"What…the fuck?" Cheren remarked as soon as N was out of earshot.

"This town has had their fair share of Crazy Flakes for breakfast, but at least he just thought he could talk to Pokemon, not liberate them." Touko said with a dismissive hand wave. "Look at it this way: he bought, you, B, and I dinner!"

Cheren checked his Xtransceiver for the time. "You and Bianca can have some bonding over pizza, braiding hair, and talking about cute boys. I'm going to go on ahead."

"But it's getting late…" Touko protested.

"Not that late." Cheren said. "Sorry, Touko, but I want to battle Striaton City's gym leader. There is no point of being on an adventure if we don't have a goal. I'll see you later!"

With a slight wave, Cheren left Touko fuming in the plaza. She had always imagined going on an adventure and traveling with friends, not abandoning them.

_Whatever_, Touko thought. At least _she_ was going to enjoy her Pokemon adventure.

* * *

I feel the need to say something profound, but I got nothing besides the fact I changed the dialogue since I don't want N to come across as a complete nutjob. I also wanted to make the dialogue a bit more realistic.

I also know I am not the first to do this type of story, so my only hope is that I can entertain you, my dear reader with my words. I like to think I am mildly entertaining.

...Mildly.


	2. Chapter 2

If the Xtransceiver was not attached to her wrist, Touko would have thrown it out of sheer frustration. Bianca had went on ahead too!

Touko had been exhausted from the journey on Route 1 and wanted some downtime before setting out to Route 2. Now she was in no mood to stick around.

Stalking off to Route 2, Touko could not miss the dark clouds approaching from the west. While she had a few hours until nightfall, she was not about to walk in a storm when she did not have to. A quick glance at the bulletin board inside Route 2 cautioned against a thunderstorm.

That was just…perfect, Touko thought gloomily. Then again, she amended, the impending storm would slow both Cheren and Bianaca's progress. "I hope they get really wet." she muttered to herself, not caring that an attendant shot her a quizzical look.

Touko decided that just going to eat pizza with Lilipup and Oshawott, rent a hotel, and watch corny reality TV shows. Since it was a Tuesday night, she would also watch the new episode of How My Watchdog Met Your Mother while Cheren and Bianca camped out in the rain.

Touko quickly pushed the mental image of her friends, cold, hungry, and lost, wandering around Route 2 aside as she made her way to a hotel No matter how dark it got, the routes in Unova were always well light. Bianca had her Tepig to keep her warm and Cheren….

Touko seriously doubted her friend's survival skills, but he was smart. He wouldn't accidentally walk off a cliff or get eaten by a wild pack of he did, then he was in luck because Touko could not hold grudges against the dead.

By the time she arrived to a hotel she spotted earlier, it had already begun to rain. While Touko knew she could spend her money more wisely at a Trainer's Hostel or even waiting the storm out at a Pokemon Center, she was in a foul enough mood not to care that she was being frivolous. She would just find some trainers to challenge on Route 2, no big deal.

Once she paid for the room, Touko went upstairs and opened the door for her room. The bed was a lot bigger than expected. Grabbing several delivery menus, Touko plopped on the bed and released her Pokemon. "Pizza sound good to you two?" she asked.

As a reply, Lilipup gave a happy bark before attempting to jump up on the bed with Touko.

…and failing.

Touko picked the puppy up and set her on the bed. Once there, she laid down on one of the pillows and watched Touko. That was not much of a reply, so she turned to her Owawott who smartly used a chair to climb up on the bed with her and picked the menu up. "I am not sure if Pokemon can eat human food," Touko mused out loud. But the look Oshawott gave her suggested he wanted to eat human food.

That was a good enough answer for her!

After placing the order, Touko turned on the television so her two Pokemon would have something to do before heading downstairs to wait for the pizza to be delivered.

Touko leaned against one of the hotel windows and watched as raindrops slowly cascaded down the window. The sudden deluge made Touko wonder if the legendary Pokemon Thundurus was in the area. She had a chuckle at that. Thundurus may not be a legend like Zekom and Reshiram, but she seriously doubted Thundurus got this close to humans.

Through the reflection of the window, Touko spotted the strange fast-talking man from earlier. She turned her head and he must have seen him looking her way because Ihn—or at least she thought his name was Ihn—raised his eyes to meet her own. Embarrassed, Touko quickly turned away.

_Crap,_ she thought, _that was supremely awkward. _

"I thought you would have went on ahead to Striaton City."Came the voice of the green haired youth.

"Whoa…Slow down a little bit, tiger." Touko said. That is when she remembered his name, it was not Ihn, it was N. Like the letter. Strange.

N was phased only momentarily after being referred to as a tiger. He just looked at her patiently. "Shall I repeat myself?" he asked, this time speaking more slowly.

"No…I got what you said." Touko replied. She then looked out of the window and hoped he would be gone when she looked back. He wasn't. But at least he wasn't spewing anymore 'I can talk to Pokemon, let me hear them again' jargon.

He looked very normal without his hat and the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up just a little past his elbows. "And to ugh, answer your question. It's raining." Touko pointed out. That sounded kind of snarky, so she continued. "Oshawott may like the rain, but I don't. I also don't want to press either Oshawott or Lilipup too hard, y'know? I suppose you are staying here because of your Purrloin? Because cats don't like water and all that."

Even though Purrloin was safe and sound in a Pokeball….

"I suppose," N said. "I am not very concerned with competing in the Pokemon Legaue, so I see no point in darting off from one town to another."

"Ah." Touko said and once more, cast an awkward glance out the window. Where was that delivery man? He was not getting a tip if this awkward conversation kept up!

"You don't seem like you want me around." N observed, speaking quickly again. This time, he must have caught himself since he once more, slowed his speech patterns down. "I wouldn't blame you. I came off as a bit…strange today. I wanted to apologize for that."

"It's okay." Touko said, once more looking at N. "Can you really y'know…talk to Pokemon?"

"If I answer with an affirmation, will you continue to think I am crazy?"

Touko was not too sure how to answer that. "Does it matter?" she asked.

"Not really." N answered. "If you must know, yes I am able to speak to Pokemon. Some people are able to heal Pokemon by just touching them, some people are self-proclaimed psychics. I am able to speak to Pokemon."

Touko's next question wanted to be: what do they say? Specifically she wanted to ask what her Pokemon had supposedly said to gain N's attention to begin with. For all Touko knew, Lilipup was crying out for someone to help her since she had gone on a stroll. Then Touko, the merciless harridan she was, threw a Pokeball, capturing the poor puppy and forever separating her from her doggy family.

Touko was about to ask when she saw that N had a strange look on his face. "I suppose your opinion of me has not altered." he said.

"I never said I thought you were crazy." Touko replied.

"No, but you did allude to the fact that this town has had their fair share of Crazy Flakes for breakfast." N replied. "My hearing is remarkably keen."

Touko knew the lounge was full of travelers and not locals. Nonetheless, she whipped her head from side to side to make sure that no one heard what N said.

Everyone seemed too engrossed in their own lives to pay attention to her. Touko exhaled, relieved. Team Plasma were the crazy ones. N was just a little bit odd. Which was better than the category of 'really weird' she had previously put him in.

"Is that what you have been waiting for?" N asked, pointing at the delivery man.

"Oh thanks!" Touko said, reaching in her bag for her wallet.

"I didn't know your friends were here. I should not have kept you." N said.

"Oh no, my human friends went ahead. My Pokemon friends are in my room, watching TV. I hope they did not order_Pay__-__per__-__view. Otherwise, I am going to be super upset__." _

"So you're eating an entire pizza by yourself?" N questioned, raising an eyebrow ever-so slightly.

"I'm going to offer a slice to Oshawott and Lilipup!" Touko protested. "And then I want some for breakfast!"

Based upon N's questions, it seemed like he was hinting at wanting to partake in her feast. "Would you want some?" Touko asked. After all, the prize money she received from him was paying for it. And the hotel room.

"Oh, no thank you." N said. "Just a word of caution: only give Lilipup the crust."

"I was kind of wondering about Pokemon and human food." Touko said sheepishly. "Thanks for the advice. I'll catch you around."

* * *

N returned to his seat and picked up the now cold cup of coffee he ordered. He grimaced at how awful the drink tasted cold, but continued to drink it. After all, it served as a nice prop so he could watch as Touko paid for her pizza before heading upstairs without being detected.

N wanted to have called the young woman a complete idiot when she mentioned giving pizza to a Lilipup, but N recognized that it was a nice gesture. Something else struck out at him during the conversation: she referred to her Pokemon as friends.

That was unexpected. N would have never imagined humans calling their Pokemon friends. The girl, Touko was far more interesting than any other trainer he encountered. While N would not describe her as pure, there was something about her that seemed so untainted compared to other trainers.

And her Pokemon certainly agreed with that. Even now, he could _sense_ how happy her Oshawott and Lilipup were with her.

Before Touko noticed him watching her climb the stairs to her room, N averted his gaze and stared into the cold cup of sludge that had once tasted like coffee. This was too disgusting to drink, he mused before casting it aside. Taking money from his wallet, he left more than enough to cover the cost of the coffee as well as a tip. He had to meet with the Sages to discuss increasing their numbers and did not want to waste any more time on attempting to finish his drink.

As N was leaving, a thought occurred to him: Touko would be a valuable asset if he could convince her to join his cause. Clearly, she was now swayed by Team Plasma. Sometimes they were a bit too extreme in their tactics, but N allowed that to occur since he recognized their good intentions. Trying to convince Touko of this would be futile. N, however, considered himself to be a champion of the truth. Despite her Pokemon's protests, this afternoon he could see she was questioning the inane ideas she had been socialized and downright deluded into believing her life. If he could just push her a little further, N was sure the young trainer would be malleable.


End file.
